NW Kansas News

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) expressed his support for the Senate budget reconciliation legislation, emphasizing its benefits for Kansans. He stated that the bill would prevent tax hikes on middle-class families and small businesses while enhancing border security and military capabilities amid rising threats.

Moran highlighted his efforts to ensure Kansas hospitals were considered in the legislative discussions. "As this legislation was being drafted, I worked to make certain hospitals in Kansas were at the forefront of these discussions," he said. He noted changes made to prevent immediate cuts to Kansas hospitals upon the bill's enactment.

The provisions aim to help Kansas continue its application for increased Medicaid payments, ensuring a higher percentage of enhanced payments as state-directed payments decrease. Moran also secured a one-year delay in reducing state-directed payments, allowing more time for resource access. Additionally, he advocated for a rural provider fund to assist financially challenged rural hospitals.

The legislation creates a $50 billion fund for emergency assistance to rural hospitals at risk of closure and allocates robust funding to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to enhance border security and combat drug trafficking. It provides $12.52 billion for FAA infrastructure modernization and $150 billion for Department of Defense modernization and readiness, with some funds directed toward Kansas.

Included is Moran's Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act, offering greater credit flexibility to financial institutions serving rural borrowers. The Farm Bill provisions are modernized, updating agricultural reference prices and disaster programs while bolstering crop insurance and animal health resources. Permanent relief from the Death Tax aims to help Kansas farmers pass their family farms onto future generations.

The bill also lowers taxes for American families, workers, and small businesses.